Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 5 - Part 11

I rolled my eyes, Reverend Julian had a nerve calling me at this time of the night!  “Aren’t you going to answer your phone?” asked Maud with a puzzled look on her face. “You know I don’t answer my phone after certain hours!” I retorted. When the phone stopped ringing I turned off the ringer and put the phone in my pocket. I asked Maud if she had anything else to tell me? She said she had told me all she knew but if she

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 5 - Part 10

“Reverend Julian told you to take Cassie and the children here?” I asked incredulously. “Maud you are lying!” I shouted. “No, I am speaking the truth.” she said tearfully. “ I wanted to tell you the truth but Reverend Julian begged me not to say anything to you.” "Tell me the truth now and nothing but the truth!" I said to her through clenched teeth. Maud began to spill her guts. She told me something that I was unaware of, that Reverend Julian

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 5 - Part 9

“Forgive me for being selfish but I never told Cassie or her Grandmother about you at first because I wanted her all to myself." said Maud. "Weren't they ever curious about where you were staying?" I asked. "I just told them that I was staying with a very strict aunt who did not allow me to have visitors. However, when Cassie found her birth certificate in the letter that her Grandmother had hidden for so many years she was adamant that she was going to find her father. She said she had a friend

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 5 - Part 8

“Conroy is my nephew too.” she repeated. “I heard you the first time! What do you mean by that?” I asked her. Maud sat down in the chair across from me and started to cry. “I promised Great-Aunt Charlotte that I would never say anything to you.” she said between her sobs. “What! What the hell did you promise Great-Aunt Charlotte that you would never say to me?!" I exclaimed. “What did you promise not to say?" I asked again, much more quietly because I did not want Conroy to wake up. With tears streaming down her cheeks Maud told me that she was

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 5 - Part 7

I woke up with the intention of taking Conroy to spend the day with me at the Hope Zoo so I went into the kitchen to prepare some sandwiches to take with us. What seemed strange to me, however, was that there was no sound coming from the yard outside. I wondered why it was so quiet as normally Maud would be up washing or hanging out clothes to dry on the line, singing at the top of her lungs and the dogs would be up and about chasing the stray cats that every now and then would come into the yard. I peeped

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 5 - Part 6

I could not shake the feeling I had of seeing Maud with Conroy. I never knew I had a jealous bone in my body, but here I am fighting a strong urge to go and snatch Conroy away from Maud and bring him back to stay with me! I sighed deeply, I really have been learning so much about myself these past weeks and it all started with Charmaine’s diaries. Speaking of which, I needed to go and catch up on my reading. I made myself comfortable on the bed and opened the diary. The last time

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 5 - Part 5

Thank God it’s Friday! I said to myself as I got out of bed. As much as I loved my job I wished I could stay home because I woke up with a splitting headache! Finding out that Cassie was my sister and that I was an aunt was finally sinking in. I took two painkillers and got ready for work. While waiting on Ricky a lot of memories of when she was here came flooding back. I remembered how Conroy had taken to me and was always asking me a lot of questions. I thought it was just his childish curiosity but now it seems that he knew instinctively that we were related! He was such an adorable little boy and I really did not want him to be placed in a Children’s Home but there was no way I could keep him. Apart from the fact that I had no clue how to raise a child, I was too old to be taking on this kind of responsibility! Oh God, I prayed, help me with this situation! It was the honking

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 5 - Part 4

Maud brought me a glass of water to drink and clear my throat because for the life of me I couldn’t seem to find my voice when Reverend Julian told me that I had to keep Conroy! When I finally could speak clearly I asked Reverend Julian if he was joking? “I am not joking, I am very serious after all he is your nephew,” replied Reverend Julian. “But what about Cassie’s Grandmother?” I asked. "She's too old." he said. Apart from the fact that she was illiterate, Cassie's Grandmother had major health issues and other life challenges that made it difficult for her to take care of herself properly, much less to take care of an energetic child like Conroy. Reverend Julian

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 5 - Part 3

I opened my eyes just in time to see Maud trying to take off my shoe. I glared at her and she grinned. I struggled to my feet with the assistance of Reverend Julian. I was no lightweight so Maud had to come to our assistance. I sat down in the chair and turned to Reverend Julian as he handed me the letter which had fallen from my hand to the floor. "Did you know about this?" I asked. "Oh no Miss Cecelia!" was his swift response. When Cassie's Grandmother asked me to read the letter and I noticed the name on the birth certificate, I just knew that I had to get it to you right away. It's a good thing that Cassie's Grandmother

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 5 - Part 2

I looked at Reverend Julian, I had a sneaky feeling that I would not like what he was about to say to me. He cleared his throat and said that the names of Cassie’s harassers were not the only information that the Police had found in Cassie’s phone. In going through her text messages, they found evidence that the father of Cassie’s children was also a member of the TreTre Gang. “What!” exclaimed Maud. I was taken aback. Reverend Julian said the reason the children’s father was killed was because he did not turn over the money that he was sent to collect from a Businessman that the TreTre Gang had been extorting for years. They thought that he had given the money to Cassie, which was why they were harassing her.  It was never ever about any insurance money. I could not believe what I was hearing! I looked at Maud, she was so angry! “Cassie was

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 5 - Part 1

I took up Charmaine’s diary and tried to read but I just could not concentrate on the contents. This was the last of the diaries and I really wanted to know the rest of the story but my mind kept going back to what had happened to Cassie and her children. My eyes filled with tears once again. I put down the diary and went to the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea. Hoping to soothe my frayed nerves I decided to make some chamomile tea. After drinking the tea I went back to my room. I got into bed and took up my Bible and opened it. It so happened that it opened

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 4 - Part 14

When I came to, Maud had one of my shoe under my nostrils. I sputtered and gasped and asked her what she was doing?! She said that she could not find the smelling salts and ‘old time people’ always said that when persons fainted you were to let them smell their own shoe to revive them. “What!” I exclaimed. She grinned and said, “Well it worked! You are revived!” She helped me up from the floor where I had fallen when I fainted and I sat on the edge of my bed. All at once I remembered what she told me earlier that had caused me to faint and I started to cry.  I still could not believe what Maud told me. No wonder I kept having those uneasy feelings I told her. I asked her how she knew what happened? She said that Reverend Julian had called her and told her what happened. “But I spoke with him today and he said nothing!” I exclaimed. “When he was talking with you he hadn’t heard the news as yet.” she said. “When he got the news he was calling your phone and you were not answering so he called me and told me. He said I was to tell you what happened and he will see you tomorrow." I held my head in my hands, I just could not believe that Cassie

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 4 - Part 13

Matron sounded very ecstatic as she related what was taking place at the hospital. She said that the army had shown up at the Hospital like a boss! When the protesters saw the army tankers they ran from the hospital gate. I laughed, because one thing with Jamaicans, they will curse and belittle the members of The Jamaica Constabulary Force but they would never do the same with the members of the Jamaica Defence Force because they knew that the soldiers didn't play!  Onlookers nearby were ordered to remove every barrier and debris from in front of the hospital gate. This they did reluctantly saying that they weren't the ones who placed them there in the first place. The Minister of National Security had assured Matron that the soldiers

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 4 - Part 12

Charmaine said she wanted so much to believe in the man who claimed to be her father but his story was beginning to sound unbelievable! Her Grandfather looked as if he wanted to grab Charles by the neck and choke him to death! Florence also jumped to her feet and held on to Stanley Wharbucks’ arms. “Let him finish his story” she pleaded. Stanley Wharbucks pointed his finger in Charles’s face and said, “Your story better add up or else!” Charles turned to Florence and told her thanks for sticking up for him. He said, “I know this may sound farfetched, but I am speaking the absolute truth. I swear on my mother’s

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 4 - Part 11

Charmaine wrote that she panicked when Florence said that Stanley Wharbucks was nowhere in the house. Where could her Grandfather be? She started to cry and said it was her fault because she was rude to him the night before and if anything happened to him she would die! “Well I don’t think anything happened to him because my heart never leap!” said Florence. Charles laughed and said that was something his mother would have said. Charmaine was not amused, she just wanted to see her Grandfather. “Did you

RATS ON A CHEESE FARM

A colony of rats lived on a cheese farm owned by Farmer Swiss. One day, three of the rats decided that they wanted to take over the cheese farm so they sat down to devise strategies on how to effect this takeover. Rat number one, the ringleader, said that

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 4 - Part 10

It was the sound of the alarm on my phone that woke me. I glanced on the clock on the wall, it was 6:00 a.m.  Strange, I thought, how come I didn’t hear the usual crowing of the roosters next door? Anyways, I must have fallen asleep reading Charmaine’s diary again, because the room light was still on. I was about to get out the bed when I remembered that

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 4 - Part 9

Charmaine wrote tearfully about the embarrassment she felt at the way Stanley Wharbucks treated Charles. The stains of her teardrops were evident on the pages of her diary. She always knew that her Grandfather had a dark side but his vitriolic behavior towards her father was unforgiving! Charles left with Florence but Charmaine decided to wait until her Grandfather returned to the room. When he returned to the study she

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 4 - Part 8

“Lord! Have mercy! What is wrong with these people! They really did that? They really set the hospital gate on fire?” I asked Matron. Matron said that the protesters were determined to enter the hospital despite the presence of the police personnel on the compound. She had called the Minister of Health before calling me and he had promised to call and talk to the

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 4 - Part 7

Miss Verna was adamant that he was the Charles Whitmore who had employed her to take care of his daughter Charmaine, a daughter whom he still had no recollection of. She insisted that he return to St. Thomas right away with her. Miss Verna was initially on her way to visit her family in May Pen, Clarendon but she decided that he being home in familiar surroundings was more important than her going anywhere. Charles said that at first he was hesitant about going with Miss Verna but the more he thought about it the more it seemed to be a good idea. Furthermore, he had

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 4 - Part 6

I was curious about what Maud had to say. I was just not curious enough to be away from Charmaine’s diary for too long. I hope what she had to say was worth taking the time away from my reading. Maud was sitting, hunched over, on the bench on the verandah. She sat up straight when she heard me approaching her. I sat down in my favorite chair, across from her, and told her

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 4 - Part 5

“Choo-Choo! Choo-Choo! Chuff-Chuff!” It was the train pulling into the train station. Charles said he had no idea why the sound of the train was so appealing to him. All he knew was that he had a burning desire to get on board the train. He ran towards it and was about to climb aboard when the Conductor stopped him and asked him if he had a ticket. When Charles said no the Conductor told him to go and purchase a ticket at the ticket office. Charles ran to the ticket office, purchased his ticket and ran back to the train boarding it just as it began to pull away from the station. When the Conductor saw him he told him that he was glad he got back in time because the Train Driver had decided to leave the station a bit earlier than usual. He took Charles’ ticket and noted that he was going to Kingston. “You don’t look like a

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 4 - Part 4

Yippee! I said, as I flung myself across my bed. No migrants! Yippee! No work! Yippee! I reached for Charmaine’s diary and just as I was about to turn the pages to where I was at last I heard a knocking on my bedroom door. It was Maud. “Do you want any breakfast?” she asked. I really did not feel like eating as I was still upset about my crotons but I knew that if I told her no she would get upset, so I told her to just make me something light. I also told her that I would be eating in my room. She was back in half an hour with a cup of coffee and a plate of scrambled eggs and toast on my

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 4 - Part 3

I was not too surprised when I heard the news about the demonstration that was taking place in Spanish Town. Judging by the reaction of the mob at the hospital I knew that they were not going to accept what the police said about the shootout. There were too many stories of persons dying while they were in the custody of the police. Too many stories of young men 'pulling a knife' at policemen and then being shot. It was strange though, that Rajah

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 4 - Part 2

Charles Whitmore jumped to his feet when Stanley Wharbucks, Charmaine and Florence entered the study. He looked hesitantly at Charmaine as if he wanted to reach out and hug her but when he saw the look on Stanley Wharbucks’s face he thought better of it. Stanley Wharbucks went and took his seat around his desk and beckoned to Charmaine and Florence that they should sit down. Before sitting down, Florence went and stood before Charles Whitmore and looked him up and down. She said

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 4 - Part 1

There was the sound of another gunshot just before Charmaine and the Butchers reached the main house. They could hear Stanley Wharbuck shouting, “Take another step mister and the next one will not go over your head but through your @##%* heart. Charmaine was taken aback. In all the years she had been on the estate she had never

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 3 - Part 14

Reverend Julian was reclining in my favorite chair on the verandah. Ricky laughed when he saw the reaction on my face when I saw the Reverend in my chair. He knew me too well. I always said to him that if I catch a puss or a dog in my chair that’s their last day on earth! He helped me with my bags to the verandah and as he turned to leave I reminded him to pick me up at the same time the next morning. I mounted the steps to the verandah. The Reverend had his eyes closed and seemed to be taking a nap. I was tiptoeing past him when he said, “Not because my eyes are closed it means that I am sleeping!” He laughed, as if he had said something funny. I was not amused and I looked at him steadily. He sat up in the chair and wiped his face with his handkerchief. I wondered why he was sweating so much. Reverend Julian began to apologize for what he heard had happened. Obviously Maud and Cassie had filled him in. He kept saying how sorry he was and if anything had happened to me he would not be able to forgive himself. I reminded him that I was always

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 3 - Part 13

I made my way through the throng hovering outside the Maternity Ward. It was not unusual to see crowds of women hovering at the Maternity Ward as some family members and friends just cannot wait until the baby went home. In this day and age everybody wanted to be the first one to post the baby's picture on Facebook and Instagram. Inside the ward four ladies surrounded the bed of the young miss who had such a hard time giving birth earlier today. They were trying to console her as she cried in an agonizing manner. She screamed, “He’s dead and he has

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 3 - Part 12

The rest of Charmaine’s fifteenth year went by quietly. She still wrote about Carlton in her diary. She kept wishing he would visit his uncle so that she would see him again just to tell him exactly how she felt. A couple of the pages in the diary had watermarks which I suspected were from the tears that she cried in frustration. After a while she stopped writing about him. I guess she must have accepted the fact that she would never see him again. Anyway, it was coming up to her sixteenth

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 3 - Part 11

Ricky had not seen me since just before the holidays so I brought him up to date on all that had transpired. He laughed at the way I described the migrants, however, he became very concerned when he heard about the attempted break in and the poisoned meat that was meant for the dogs but killed the cats instead. When I told him about Rajah he could not believe that we were still alive. He said that Rajah was a cold-blooded

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 3 - Part 10

Sergeant Francis told the Commissioner that he would get back to him. As we both ran towards the back of the yard the soldiers came from around there dragging a young man by his feet. They said they found him hiding in the gutter on the roof. They handed a gun to Sergeant Francis that they said he had clutched in his hand when they found him. Cassie shouted, “He

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 3 - Part 9

Maud was screaming and pointing at something at the front of the yard, Cassie was screaming, the little ones, except for the baby who was miraculously sleeping through this bedlam, were screaming and the dogs were howling. By this time the person, or persons, they were chasing had obviously gotten away. I put the firearm

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 3 - Part 8

I remember my first love. We attended the same high school. He was so handsome and all the girls wanted him. I knew he liked me too because he would stand under the tree near the canteen and stare at me every time when I went for lunch and he would stand near the school gate when it was time to go home, but he would never say a word to me. He was in the upper school so he graduated before me and I never saw him again. Every now and again I would think about him and wondered what ever happened to him. I guess it was never meant to be. Oh well, let me get back to Charmaine. Charmaine was very infatuated with Carlton, or as she wrote, “I

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 3 - Part 7

I was sorry that I had told Maud to come back to the house. I just wanted to read the rest of Charmaine’s diaries. Anyway, she was eager to show me what she had outlined for Cassie and her children, or as I loved to call them, the ‘migrants’ so I listened attentively. Maud had developed a plan to keep them out of my way but what was interesting was that it was a seven-day plan instead of the initial three-day plan that Reverend Julian had proposed. When I questioned her about it she said that it was just a precaution in case anything came up. I looked her squarely in the eyes and told her crisply, “You are obviously taking me for granted and I will not put up with it! They leave here after three days!” She pretended not to hear me and kept on talking, but if she thinks I am joking she has another guess coming! Looking over the plan I saw where she made sure that I would not see Cassie or her children during my waking hours, which seemed workable seeing that I was returning to the hospital tomorrow. She would also ensure that they not be around when I came home from work. Maud knew that I treasured peace and quiet after a hectic day delivering babies at the hospital. The dogs began to bark which seemed strange at that time of the night. “Are you expecting anyone?” asked Maud. “Nope!” I replied. Anyone who knew me knows that I do not entertain unexpected visitors after seven o’ clock at nights. Maud went to look to see if there was anyone at the gate. She returned and said that she did not see anyone. It seemed as if the dogs were barking because they wanted water so she had refilled their water bowls. We finished going over the plan and agreed that we all should make an effort to make it work. She then left. One thing with Maud, I have never had to remind her

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 3 - Part 6

Charmaine was fascinated with the necklace given to her by Grandpa Stanley. Somehow it seemed very familiar to her. During her birthday party she could not stop touching it. Her friends loved it and all of them said they wished they had a necklace just like it. As soon as she reached her room Charmaine began to write about the events of the night in the diary given to her by Florence. She took off the necklace and decided to do a sketch of it in the diary. She was running her fingers over the etchings on the locket when it opened and something

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 3 - Part 5

 I was walking along a dark road when I saw an elderly gentleman, dressed in a grey three-piece suit and white shirt, as if he was going to a wedding, coming towards me. He was walking with a cane and he stopped when he reached me. He bowed his head and said, "Goodnight Ma’am, how are you?" I tried to answer him but I couldn’t. It felt as if my mouth was stuffed with cotton, and my head felt light

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 3 - Part 4

Charmaine placed her hand on her chest, her heart was beating rapidly, she was afraid that she had upset her Grandfather. Stanley Wharbucks came back from his room holding a small box in his right hand. He handed the box to Charmaine. Charmaine opened the box, inside it was a gold locket necklace. The locket had a lion defeating a dragon etched on it. “Oh Grandpa Stanley this is beautiful!” exclaimed Charmaine. She placed it around her neck and asked him to help her to fasten the clasp. “This necklace belonged to your Great-Grandmother Stacia and the last person to wear it was your mother Charlotte, I had planned to wait until your eighteenth birthday to give it to you but I believe that the time is right to give it to you now,”  he said. “Did you know that the dress and slippers

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 3 - Part 3

I smiled as I resumed my reading of Charmaine's diary knowing that it would take my mind off the events of the day. Charmaine said she felt so much better after taking the two spoonfuls of the bizzy and rum concoction and she was ready for her birthday celebrations. She opened the bag that Florence had left on the bed and took out the dress that Florence had made for her birthday. She threw the dress back on the bed in disgust,

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 3 - Part 2

I could not believe my eyes! Nor my ears! Maud and the ‘migrants’ were coming through my gate like the proverbial gypsy caravan! Maud must have sprouted wings in her absence because before I could reach outside she was at my bedroom door. “Please Miss Cissy! Please! Hear me out before you say anything!” I opened my eyes wide at her, she knew I did not like being called ‘Cissy’! “I am sorry Miss Cecilia, please, just let me speak.” I was about to say something but then I saw the tears in her eyes. Maud was a tough cookie who never cries, no matter what. I sat down on the bed with my arms crossed and waited for the explanation of why the ‘migrants’ were once again across my border! Maud began by apologizing for not calling me on the telephone to let me know what was happening but she just wanted to get away from the churchyard as quickly as possible. Reverend Julian’s wife was back from Canada even though she was not expected back for at least another three weeks. A male cousin of hers had been deported from Canada and he had nowhere to stay and she had promised her Aunt Joyce, the cousin's mother, that she would put him up in the Caretaker’s quarters. She made this promise without first discussing it with the Reverend because she knew that the Caretaker was no longer living there. When

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 3 - Part 1

The ringing of the telephone woke me. It was one of my co-workers, Mrs. Pinnock, telling me that she was coming to pick up her Christmas cake. I laughed because it was now the New Year! She laughed too and apologised for not picking up the cake before Christmas. She said she had some relatives who were visiting for the holidays and if she had picked up the cake before God bless how much of it she would have gotten to eat. “Dem craven and dem love cake!” she said laughingly. I told her she had to pay extra for the cake because I had to keep ‘wetting’ it with white rum to keep it moist. She laughed and said that was exactly the way she liked it. I asked her what time she was planning to come for the cake only for her to say that she was actually outside my gate. “What! I exclaimed, “You know I don’t like early

Border Secured (A Scenario) - Section 2 - Part 14

Charmaine bombarded Florence with a lot of questions. She wanted to know why what was happening to her was not happening to boys too? Why did she have to wear that uncomfortable wad of cloth? Would people know that it was that ‘time of the month’ just by looking at her? Did all women have this 'experience' at the same time every month? The questions kept coming and Florence tried her best to answer them but Charmaine was not satisfied. Suddenly,

Border Secured (A Scenario) - Section 2 - Part 13

Florence was never the same in the days following Ben’s funeral. Her smile that was usually such a joy to behold, the smile that would light up the darkest room, had disappeared. Charmaine always told her that when she smiled her eyes also smiled, but Florence lost her joy when Ben died. She  was trying very hard, for Charmaine’s sake, to give an appearance of happiness but her heart was not in it. Her heart

Border Secured (A Scenario) - Section 2 - Part 12

Reading about Ben’s funeral and Florence's sorrow saddened me so much that I went to bed crying. The last time I cried like this was when my Grandmother Charmaine died. It felt as if I was drawing poor little Charmaine’s pain. I had accepted the fact that little Charmaine and my Grandmother Charmaine were the same person. Maybe that was the reason why I was feeling so sad. She was losing the closest thing she had to a father and she must have been devastated at Ben's death. Poor little Charmaine. I was happy, however, that her relationship with Stanley Wharbucks had improved. I said my prayers and, hugging my pillow, I finally drifted off to sleep.

Border Secured (A Scenario) - Section 2 - Part 11

Ben was dead! I cried as if it was my own father that had died. I thought about little Charmaine and poor Florence and I cried even harder. I picked up the ledger from the floor and continued to read. Most of what was written in the ledger was what Florence said was told to her by Stanley Wharbucks as she was too distraught to write anything. The days following the death of Ben were a blur to Florence. She spoke to no one and she refused to eat and drink anything. She said she had no appetite and no manner of coaxing by Stanley Wharbucks could get her to do otherwise. Stanley Wharbucks took Charmaine to stay with him at the main house. As sad as she was Charmaine was overjoyed to be staying in the main house. The stone lions at the top of the steps leading to the verandah had fascinated her from the first day she saw them and she looked forward to climbing atop them when her Grandfather was not around. When she saw the room that she was to stay in she gasped at its beauty. Stanley Wharbucks told her that the room had belonged to her mother. The walls of the room were painted bright pink. There was a huge four-poster bed in the middle of the room with a beautiful pink floral bedspread on it. The sheer curtains at the window matched the bedspread. The nightstands on either side of the bed had lamps with the bases in the shape of a Victorian-era woman and the pink shades had gold fringes. The seat of the dresser stool was covered with pink velvet and Charmaine ran her fingers across it. She turned to Stanley Wharbucks and said, “This is so beautiful!” He smiled and told her that her mother had said the very same thing when she saw the room for the first time. He lifted her up and placed her atop the stool so that she could have a better look at the hundreds

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 2 - Part 10

I woke up the next day with a feeling of dread. I had an eerie feeling that I was going to receive some bad news. I said my prayers and then got up out of bed and did all the chores I had to do so that there would be no interruptions when I resumed my reading. I went outside to take care of the dogs. They were listless, they must be missing Maud a lot or maybe they were just drawing that sense of foreboding from me. Anyway, the fowls were happy that I finally came to remove all the eggs from the coop. I guess they needed space to lay some more! I went back inside, made myself a huge jug of lemonade, took a bag of crackers from the cupboard and went back to my room as it was too hot to sit outside on the verandah. I took up the last of the ledgers and noticed that it had a piece of black

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 2 - Part 9

Stanley Wharbucks had been taking Charmaine to school for over a week now. Ben was still sick so he had no choice but to take her himself. Florence got her ready every morning and Stanley Wharbucks would be there ready and waiting when they arrived at the main house. Charmaine told Florence that her Grandfather

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 2 - Part 8

The loud knocking on the gate woke me up. I looked at the clock, it was half past nine in the morning. I had fallen asleep in the chair. I looked through the window, it was Reverend Julian knocking on the gate. Darn it! I said to myself. I hated unannounced visitors! I don’t know why people believed that they can just show up at your home anytime they wanted to, especially when rain was falling! If it were anyone else they would be out there knocking for all eternity! Jeez! I half-opened the front door and shouted out to him that I would be there in five minutes. I went and hurriedly brushed my teeth and washed my face. I changed into fresh clothes and then went outside to put the dogs back in their kennel before opening the gate to let in the Reverend. “Good morning” he said. I am here because Maud

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 2 - Part 7

The morning when Charmaine was to start school Ben took sick, he could hardly get out of bed. Flushed with fever he told Florence to go to Stanley Wharbucks and let him know that he would have to take Charmaine to school. When Florence and Charmaine arrived at the main house Stanley Wharbucks was just sitting down at the dining table to have his breakfast. Before he could say a word Florence blurted out their reason for being there. He rose from around the table in anger and strode from the room with them running behind him. Walking very fast he headed in the direction of their quarters. Florence told Charmaine to stay on the verandah while she hurriedly tried to catch up with him. Florence could hear Stanley Wharbucks hollering

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 2 - Part 6

The other ledgers were basically filled with stories of Charmaine growing up and trying to adjust to living with complete strangers. Charmaine, the friendly little girl that she was, could not understand the reason for being ignored and rejected by Stanley Wharbucks. Three days after the incident in the study Ben and Florence took her back to see Stanley Wharbucks hoping he had changed his mind about her. He was livid! He chased them from the house and told them if they brought her back to see him they would be fired! Ben was so upset and was going to leave the estate that very same day but Florence reminded him that they now had an obligation to take care of Charmaine for her mother Charlotte’s sake. Charmaine was Stanley Wharbucks only living

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 2 - Part 5

Ben, Florence and Charmaine waited outside in the living room. Suddenly there was a loud crashing sound coming from the study. This was followed by a loud yell, then another crashing sound. Florence and Ben ran towards the study, with little Charmaine trying to keep up with them. When Florence opened the door of the study Stanley Wharbucks had his rifle

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 2 - Part 4

The crowing of the roosters woke me at 4:45 am the next morning and I could not go back to sleep. I had slept well despite all that had happened this past week. I said my morning prayers and got out of bed and headed to the bathroom for a shower. While showering the negro spiritual ‘Kumbayah mi Lord’ rested on my heart and I began to sing it, crying out to the Lord telling him how much I needed Him to take charge of my situation. After my shower I went into the kitchen and made myself a ham sandwich and a cup of Milo, which I took back to the den. I was ready to begin my reading of the diaries. I started with the ledger that had the number 1 on it, laughing to myself as if there could be any other beginning. I could see that the ledgers were pretty expensive and must have cost Florence a pretty penny. Maybe they were from Stanley Wharbucks supplies, after all, he was a very wealthy man.  The covers of the ledgers showed signs of wear and tear but the pages inside were in good condition. Florence’s handwriting, surprisingly, was neat and tidy, every ‘i’ was dotted and every ‘t’ was crossed and even after all these years the handwriting was legible. I sat down in the recliner and began to read. The first words were gut wrenching. Charmaine could not stop crying when her father Charles left her with Ben and Florence. She was inconsolable, and even though they begged her to shush she cried even more. As they hurried to reach the main house before 6 o’clock Ben seemed worried, wondering how he was going to explain the presence of Charmaine on the estate. As they reached the verandah of the house they heard Stanley Wharbucks hollering “Where the hell

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 2 - Part 3

I was so upset to see the ‘momma migrant’ traipsing in and out of my house but it was Christmas Day, and the Reverend was still on the premises. Maud kept looking in my direction, she knew me too well! However, I kept my cool, smiling and nodding at the incessant chatter of the children. Soon all the leftovers were put away and the carport was restored to its former glory. It was now time for the ‘migrants’ to go, at least to Maud’s quarters, until the next day. The Reverend handed over Cuba to his mother, Maud took the hands of the two little boys and they all left for Maud’s quarters with the Reverend carrying the bassinet. I left the verandah and went inside to the den to wait on Reverend Julian and Maud. I was so eager to hear the rest of the story about Charles and Charmaine. I waited impatiently and it seems as if I dozed off for a while because I was awaken by the sound of their footsteps returning to the house. I looked at the clock and realized that  thirty minutes had passed. When they entered the den the Reverend had a large box in his hands and Maud had her handbag in her hands as if she

Border Secured (A Scenario) Section 2 - Part 2

Christmas Day! I loved Christmas and I was not afraid to let the whole world know! Celebrating Christmas brought back fond memories of my Grandmother Charmaine. She taught me so much and I really missed her. I wiped away the tears from my eyes and got ready for the day. I went into the kitchen to find that Maud had already prepared breakfast. She had made my favorites, Johnnycakes, ackee and saltfish, fried ripe plantains and ‘chocolate tea’. I knew she was going to ask me a favour because she always did this when she wanted something, so I waited. Just as I thought, as soon as she saw me eating she asked if she could say something. I put down my fork and told her to go ahead. Maud asked if the ‘migrants’ could join us for Christmas dinner seeing that it would be their last day here. I told her that I did not want them inside my house. The children had already broken my fish tank and there was no way I was going to give them the opportunity to break anything else. She then asked if she decorated the carport and used the trestle